Back on the old FBTB, I posted a series of USC scale TIE alternates that I had designed in MLCad. Now I am finally getting around to building them in real bricks, and I will present them here for a little C & C.

I decided to start with the Torpedo Launcher for one simple reason. The stand for all the other models resembles the TIE Interceptor/X-Wing UCS stand, while the Torpedo Launcher is unique.

And now I give you my version of the TIE Torpedo Launcher. First, a Front View:

I'm sure you can see what I mean about the stand. Because of the bulkiness of the stand, I took most of the photos with the model on its back. I had to change some things around during the build that differ from the instructions I had previously posted on Brickshelf. One of them are those 4 x 9 wings I used on the sloped portion of the, err..., wing. For some reason I neglected to remember that they had no stud notches. The final design will use a pair of 3 x 8 wings with 1 x 6 plate. Most of the other modifications were structural in nature and hidden from the camera, to keep the massive wing together before all the greebling on top and bottom were complete. That was the biggest challenge during the build: keeping the darn thing from collapsing under it's own weight. Once assembled, it is suprisingly very sturdy. It even can stand without the base, though not very well, and the Weapons Batteries are pushed out of position.

Here's the Back view:

With so little source material to work with, I really had a tough time figuring out just what the model was supposed to look like. While that gave me quite a bit of freedom, it also limited me to some extent.

Top View:

Cockpit:

The cockpit turned out pretty well I thought. The only thing I don't like is how far back the control stick is compared to the pilot's chair. I probably won't change it in the designs I've completed thusfar, but will keep it in mind on future projects. After all, I do have at least 35 TIE Alts to go.

I have a few more photos I feel must be included. The first is the front underside of the wing. The source material showed some interesting structure there, and I worked hard to capture it as best I could. The last is a photo of the rear underside. I thought it important to highlight the greebs in that section.

There are many, many more photos in the gallery, which can be viewed when it is made public.

Anyways, the model is indeed great. Impressive and study overall structure with neat detailing; the greebling on the wing is especially superb. The ship's extremely accurate, too.

As for criticism, I have nearly none. The underside of the cockpit could be rounder and the tubes on the rear underside of the wing could be thicker - and perhaps of a darker shade of grey - but otherwise the craft seems flawless to me.